It’s a new year, which means another fresh round of state laws is about to take effect.
Although the legislative session ends in March, most new laws take effect in May, 60 days after the final day of lawmaking. Laws dealing with government funding typically take effect in July at the beginning of each new fiscal year, while others must wait until the new year.
Twenty-five such laws take effect to ring in 2026.
One of the most noticeable changes taking place is that Utahns who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps, will no longer be able to purchase soft drinks using their benefits. It’s not technically due to a newly-effective law, but comes after the federal government granted a waiver to allow the state to restrict the purchase of soda following the passage of HB403 earlier this year.
“The SNAP program helps those who are facing food insecurity and in need of nutrition,” said Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland, the bill’s sponsor. “We don’t want to undermine health and fuel chronic disease by subsidizing the purchase of sugary drinks. This innovative change will improve our nutrition program and overall health outlook in the state of Utah.”
Here’s what else changed when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve:
New alcohol laws
HB437 makes several changes to laws around drunk driving and alcohol consumption. For starters, bars, restaurants and liquor stores will be required to check the ages of all patrons, a change from previous law that only required age verification for customers who appear to be 35 years of age or younger. If you’re over the age of 35, you’re still allowed to take it as a compliment when your bartender asks for your ID.
The bill also requires those convicted of an “extreme DUI” to be barred from purchasing alcohol for a period of time, and creates a unique driver’s license or identification card with features indicating that the holder of the card is prohibited from buying alcohol.
Policing and crime
SB83 requires law enforcement agencies to create and maintain policies about investigating alleged violations of jail release agreements, jail release court orders, protective orders or stalking injunctions.
Environment and outdoors
HB48 makes several changes to mitigate wildfire risks in places where urban infrastructure is at risk of wildfire. The bill requires insurers to use the state’s high-risk wildland urban interface boundary when assessing the risk of fire. It also requires insurers to provide justification if it raises rates by at least 20% or drops coverage due to wildfire risk, according to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Property owners in high-risk areas can also request lot assessments “to develop personalized risk mitigation strategies” from counties and cities, according to the division.
Also known as the Species Protection Funding Act, HB378 creates new funding mechanisms for the state’s Species Protection Account in part by taxing wind and solar plants.
Wind and solar plants that generate 660 or more kilowatts of energy will also need to include systems to store energy in order to qualify for tax credits under SB192.
Business and taxes
Big changes are coming to the cosmetology industry, thanks to SB330, which dramatically lowers the number of hours of training one must complete in order to become a licensed cosmetologist, nail technician, eyelash technician, esthetician or barber.
SB333 lets cities and counties opt into a “major sporting event venue zone” to help fund venues and infrastructure for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.
HB58 directs the Uniform Building Code Commission to collect data on building inspectors across the state and report the findings to the Legislature each year. It also creates unlawful and unprofessional conduct provisions for licensed building inspectors.
HB60 is an annual “clean-up” tax bill, according to sponsor Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, which makes several technical changes to the Utah State Tax Commission and tax exemptions or credits for commercial energy, income tax and the enterprise zone tax credit.
SB202 makes several changes to property tax collection in the state. It requires counties to provide the State Tax Commission with preliminary assessments before that information is given to county auditors and requires the commission to take “corrective action” if county officers fail to perform duties for property assessment.
The law also removes the requirement that counties advertise public hearings on tax changes in newspapers, instead requiring that they simply advertise electronically for at least 14 days.
Property managers will be required to be licensed under HB337, which also gives the Real Estate Commission authority to make administrative rules governing the practice.
SB13 allows certain rental businesses to charge a fee of 1.5% for heavy equipment rentals to be used as a reimbursement for property taxes.
Licensing for certified public accountants is changing in 2026. SB15 removes the hours requirement to become licensed and allows someone with a valid license from another state if they are in good standing and can prove they have completed the equivalent training or education required in Utah.
Counties have typically been allowed to add up to a 1% tax on restaurants, but SB91 allows them to apply the same tax to certain prepared foods in convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores.
SB219 changes the formula used to calculate sales for a financial institution in Utah.
SB316 gives the Military Installation Development Authority more say in how tax revenues are spent in military development areas.
Transportation
Owners of interstate commercial trailers that are not travel trailers can register their vehicles with a special lifetime license plate under HB166. Owners of other vehicles, such as trailers, electric vehicles, off-highway vehicles and street-legal all-terrain vehicles, can also register their vehicles for two years instead of one, thanks to HB514.
HB190 requires owners of motorcycles to attach the license plate to the vehicle itself, not to their jacket or backpack. It also clarifies the definition of “lane filtering” — which means passing between other vehicles while traffic is stopped — from “lane splitting,” which is passing between other vehicles while traffic is moving.
The law prohibits motorcyclists from performing wheelies on the highway and treats lane splitting while traffic is moving as an infraction, subject to suspension of the motorcycle endorsement for 90 days.
HB261 requires private property owners who enforce towing at a parking lot to publish information about their towing agreement in public.
Government and elections
The Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office will be required to update the state’s financial disclosures website to give the ability to search for political contributions or expenses made by a particular person, thanks to HB95.
Health
HB493 creates an online system to allow health professionals to complete death certificates online. The same system will notify health professionals if a death requires further review by the medical examiner.
SB134, the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act, allows Utahns to create an optional advance health care plan that grants a person the power of attorney to make medical decisions on their behalf if they are unable to make those decisions for themselves. Advance directives can also authorize providers to make decisions in limited circumstances.
Other changes
Several laws make minor changes to laws or recodify existing sections of code, like HB20, which tweaks sections related to property tax relief.
SB200 adjusts the statewide fees for boat registration.